Taipei, March 29 (CNA) The Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) responded positively Saturday to President Ma Ying-jeou's news conference aimed at adressing protesters' demands over a contraversial service trade pact with China, and called for its quick passage through the Legislature to help Taiwan gain greater access to the global economic community.

FPG said the president gave clear explanations to assuage the doubts of the protesters and the public about the pact and cited Perng Fai-nan, governor of the central bank, as saying that "signing free trade agreements always involves give and take." If the agreement fails to clear the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan will not be able to conclude its negotiations on the largely completed merchandize trade pact, which FPG said will hamper Taiwan's efforts to join the proposed U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership and the China-initiated Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Should this be the case, it will be extremely difficult for Taiwanese manufacturing businesses that are already squeezed by slim profit margins to survive, the group said.

FPG, one of Taiwan's largest conglomerates with diverse interests, also urged the government to help tide businesses affected by by the pact over their difficulties.

Hundreds of protesters, mostly college students, have occupied the Legislative Yuan since March 18, after ruling Kuomintang lawmakers tried to fast-track it and put it to a full vote on the legislative floor, bypassing the review process.

The protesters have demanded among other things that Ma discuss the pact in public with them, and vowed to stage a mass sit-in demonstration in front of the Presidential Office Sunday if he fails to show enough goodwill toward their demands. It is the second time in a week that the president has held a news conference in response to the protesters' demands in an effort to break the stalement in the Legislature. (By Wei Shu and Flor Wang)